When it comes to breast cancer, there is good news and there is bad news.

The good news is, the number of deaths from breast cancer continues to decline as we detect the disease at earlier, more easily treatable stages.

The bad news is, the incidence of breast cancer has been rising steadily since the 1960’s for reasons that are poorly understood. The United States currently boasts the highest rates in the world. In this country, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime and about 44,000 women die of the disease annually. These seem like harsh statistics, but thanks to advances in medical science, we have some very effective ammunition against them.